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What Lowly, our family dog, doesn’t realise is that without him a walk would be nothing. He lies in silence on the drive to the beach, desperate not to jinx his luck. But a spot for a scruffy lurcher to stretch his legs and enjoy a doggy paddle is invariably a beautiful place for us to explore too. “What better way to discover your surroundings than on foot? But without a dog at your heel? Unthinkable!” maintains Kate Humble, the wildlife television presenter who runs dog-friendly holidays at her farm in Wales.

The dog-friendly movement has gathered such pace that even museums, galleries and wildlife parks are welcoming canines, which means that there’s no excuse for leaving your dog behind

Britain’s pubs, hotels and attractions have finally cottoned on to the fact that guests don’t like to be separated from their hounds. “For a dog lover, there can hardly be a worse feeling than packing for a holiday knowing that these loyal friends are staying behind,” complains Countryfile presenter and farmer Adam Henson in the latest edition of Alastair Sawday’s bestselling guide, Dog-friendly Breaks in Britain.

Not only are four-legged companions now permitted into more places, but they are doted upon when they get there. At Lowly’s favourite beach, Burton Bradstock in Dorset, the trendy Hive Beach Café bakes its own dog biscuits, and the car park attendant provides a water bowl for thirsty canines. In the village are two dog-friendly pubs, ensuring Lowly can join us for a post-walk pint, and if we wanted to stay overnight he could sleep in a carved dog bed with a towel.

Lowly on the beachCredit:
John Lawrence

The dog-friendly movement has gathered such pace that even museums, galleries and wildlife parks are welcoming canines, which means that there’s no excuse for leaving your dog behind when you leave the house for a day out. From yoga retreats to city breaks and spas, here is our pick of Britain’s best dog-friendly adventures. As Sawday says: “Places that welcome dogs with open arms and sagging sofas probably welcome humans just as well.”

A pint and a pie

Dogs, along with Farrow & Ball paint, craft beers and retro boardgames, have come to be the hallmark of a “proper” pub, so you can expect more than a water bowl in the bar these days. The Bull and Last on Hampstead Heath in London rewards hounds with pig’s ears and marrow bones, while The Pond in Leith, Edinburgh, offers four kinds of doggy treat and The Orange Tree in Thornham, Norfolk serves “Scooby snacks” which includes pigs’ ears, doggy sausage rolls and three sizes of marrowbone. For more substantial appetites, the Mutt’s Menu at the King’s Head in Woodbridge, Suffolk, includes honey-dried pig’s snout, doggy sausage and a ramekin of gravy, while the Dog’s Dinner menu at The Owl at High Beech, Essex includes mains, sides – gravy or carrots – and, for pudding, a puppuchino (a cup of whipped cream). Many such pubs have bedrooms kitted out for dogs, including The Wheatsheaf Inn in the village of Northleach in the Cotswolds.

The city break

It’s not as crazy as you might think to take your dog on a city break – if you pick the right town. Great Malvern, Worcestershire. is blessed with dog-friendly pubs, hotels, cafés and shops including Austin & Co, a gift store voted Britain’s most dog-friendly high-street shop. Out of town, you can enjoy rambling over the Malvern Hills.

Edinburgh, also surrounded by glorious dog-walking country, prides itself on its dog-friendly coffee shops and gastropubs, as do Kelso, Salisbury and Cheltenham. Even London has plenty to offer: The Windmill on Clapham Common is a dog-friendly pub with rooms and a good base from which to explore the city’s parks and commons, and visit Selfridges, Liberty and Fenwick, all of which welcome well-behaved hounds.

Kate and Teg

Wild times

The more remote the better, as far as your dog is concerned – less chance of you wasting time online rather than outdoors. For some of Britain’s wildest dog walks, head to Wales: Kate Humble’s off-grid hideaway on a farm in the Wye Valley features two huts for humans and a kennel for the pet, while in the Brecon Beacons National Park, Breconcottages.com provides dog-friendly bolt-holes and dogs stay free at Craig Y Nos Castle. In Norfolk, Margins runs walking and glamping holidays along the Norfolk Coastal path, pitching your tent for you each night and supplying everything your dog might need such as beds, bowls, treats and food.

Doggy get-togethers

Just like their owners, dogs relish the opportunity for a good chin-wag. Tractorfest near Biddenden in Kent today is a dog’s answer to a music festival, with sheepdog displays, a dog show and a doggy hypnotist. The Dorset County Show (September 2 and 3) is another doggy get-together, as is Burghley Horse Trials in Lincolnshire (August 31 to September 3), although you will need to bring a strong leash and a bag of bribes if your dog is likely to steal picnics or chase champion event horses.

A cultural dog walk

Why not combine a dog walk with a cultural outing to a museum or stately home? English Heritage and the National Trust both allow dogs at many of their properties – and provide full lists on their websites of which ones. Amberley Museum in the South Downs, West Sussex, allows dogs on leads, as does contemporary art museum the Newlyn Art Gallery in Cornwall and the National Cycle Museum in Mid Wales, home to 216 bicycles including an 1816 Hobby Horse.

A Hungarian Pointer splashes in a riverCredit:
Tamas Soki

By the riverside

For scenic walking trails, wildlife and unlimited opportunity for doggy paddles, nothing beats the riverbank. At the National Trust’s Attingham Park, Shropshire, and Killerton Park, Devon, you can walk your dog along beautiful stretches of river – see nationaltrust.org.uk/walking for more river walks. In Somerset, Tarr Steps on the river Barle is a good starting point for a river walk through a pretty wooded valley with wild ponies. Afterwards, enjoy a pint at the dog-friendly Tarr Farm Inn. For a river-centric staycation, head to Suffolk, where dog lovers Jacqui and Richard Gooding run Letheringham Water Mill cottages on the river Deben in Woodbridge, which was voted dog-friendly business of the year 2017 by VisitEngland.

In the woods

Rob Cowen, the wildlife author, describes Britain’s woodland as “one of the few still relatively rich pockets of the non-human world”, which might explain why dogs enjoy forest walks so much. The New Forest, Hampshire, and Tay Forest, Perthshire, offer extensive dog walks as well as dog-friendly pubs and accommodation, while walks in smaller, lesser-known woods, such as Sydenham Hill in London, Foxley in Norfolk and Cardinham in Cornwall are outlined on the Woodland Trust and National Trust websites.

Get spiritual

A mindfulness or yoga retreat with your dog could deepen both your connection with them and your own spiritual experience, according to Caroline Griffith, who runs regular spiritual retreats for dogs and their owners in the Welsh countryside. Over five days, dogs and their owners partake in group meditations, walks and relaxing treatments and receive canine flow training, a Reach Your Pawtential seminar and advice on canine diet and nutrition. In London, the Light Yoga Space runs regular dog-friendly drop-in yoga classes, inspired by owner Janice Kate Fisher’s Hungarian puli. “The dogs love it when their humans start doing yoga, and we’re inspired by the extra doggy energy,” she explains. Only 100 per cent dog-loving and dog-accepting humans may attend.

A DOGA workshopCredit:
Justin Sutcliffe

Take to the water

As yet, Britain doesn’t have any doggy surf schools, although earlier this year Paws on the Beach, a charity dog event in Saunton Sands, Devon, hosted the first canine surfing event, and the organisers hope to start running surf lessons soon. There are plenty of boating options for keen sea dogs, though: a voyage up the river Dart with the Dartmouth River Boat Company, for example, or a cruise aboard a dog-friendly narrow boat. Black Prince has a fleet of pet-friendly boats, with full central heating, kitchens and Wi-Fi. Although dogs aren’t usually allowed off the lead on canal towpaths, the rule is relaxed on certain stretches, such as Bingley Five-Rise Locks in Yorkshire, the steepest flight of locks in Britain. For more information see canalrivertrust.org.uk.

For dogs and kids

Where children are involved – particularly those too tired to walk more than 10 yards without being carried – a dog walk requires more of an incentive than a pretty view or pub lunch. The Cotswold Wildlife Park is one of the few wildlife parks to let dogs in – on leads, of course, there are rhinos in situ – ensuring you can keep both hound and child entertained. The six-acre Rydeale Folk Museum in Hutton-le-Hole, North Yorkshire, with a children’s trail, historic buildings and animals, also welcomes hounds. For a longer break, shepherd’s huts are as exciting for children as they are for dogs. Scamper Holidays’ Shepherd Huts in Rhossili Bay, Swansea, are suitable for year-round stays as they have wood burners, mini-kitchens, and dog-friendly pubs nearby, as are Wriggly Tin hits, Hampshire, which offer four-legged guests a goody bag of sausages.

By the sea

While some beaches become dog-free zones in summer, there are plenty open all year, such as Robin Hood’s Bay in Yorkshire, Holkham Bay in Norfolk, Sandymouth and Perranporth in Cornwall and Climping in Sussex. For the full list, visit thebeachguide.co.uk. National Trust beaches tend to be particularly friendly: Formby in Liverpool, which backs on to asparagus fields and pine forests with natterjack toads and red squirrels, has a dog-friendly café and free dog bags. Remember to check tide times before you go and avoid areas with strong currents or rip tides. Bath your dog when you get home, as salt and sand can be irritating to its coat.

Hot dogs at the Rooftop Film ClubCredit:
Paul Grover

Doggy date night

Research suggests that dogs inspire closer marital relations, so take Fido with you when you head off on date night. Cinemas including the Picturehouse chain now host dog-friendly screenings, while in London dogs are allowed at open-air Rooftop Film Club in Peckham, and can enjoy Snuffle dog beer and “pupcorn” while they watch. You can even make a romantic weekend of it: hotels such as the Trigony House Hotel in Dumfries and Galloway, where dogs are greeted at check-in with their own passports and a box of goodies, Overwater Hall in Cumbria and

Hotel Endsleigh in Devon, offer complimentary dog-sitting services, allowing couples to enjoy a pooch-free meal together after a day spent hanging out with their hound.

Rest and relaxation

Who says a dogs don’t need a holiday? Hotels such as The Fish near Broadway, Worcestershire, and the Tewkesbury Park Hotel bend over backwards to ensure their canine guests have as relaxing a stay as their owners by providing dog beds with sprung mattresses, fluffy Egyptian cotton towels and nutritious meals. Raithwaite Estate in Whitby, North Yorkshire, with two hotels and a collection of stone cottages, even has a dog spa where stressed-out pooches can enjoy a variety of treatments such as mineral baths and tea-tree paw massages. Don’t worry, there’s a spa for humans, too.

The new edition of Alastair Sawday’s Dog-friendly Breaks in Britain is out now (Sawday’s, £15.99)